US fashion chain features Israel in campaign

The American fashion chain Urban Outfitters had decided to feature the Israeli sun in its spring marketing campaign: The popular brand, which has outlets around the world, chose Israel as the destination for a week-long photo shoot.

The team of American models was accompanied by fashion photographer Marlene Marion. Photographs documenting their experience in the holy land are on display on the brand's blog. The Dead Sea, the Judean Desert, Jaffa and the Tel Aviv coast are among the sites that were shown in the spring catalog, whose designers apparently got their inspiration from Israeli tourism posters from the 1960s and 1970s.

The models had the opportunity to chronicle their adventures as well; each was given a camera to photograph the visit from their own point of view. The results are quite flattering, especially for the city of Tel Aviv. The pictures also serve as proof that models eat more than just lettuce: Some shots show the glamorous convoy having a typical Israeli lunch, with hummus, meat and grapefruit juice.

Urban Outfitters explained that it found Israel in its search for a warm photo shoot destination. Hundreds of thousands of young shoppers are exposed to the photographs published in the brand's catalog, Facebook page and blog, making the pictures significant not only for the promotion of the chic clothing, but Israeli tourism as well.

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